List of mayors of Memphis, Tennessee
This is a list of mayors of Memphis, Tennessee.
History
As a result of a yellow fever epidemic in 1879, Memphis lost so much of its population that it was disincorporated and was not rechartered until 1895. This accounts for the absence of a mayor during the period 1879–1893. The city leaders during this period were known as President of the Taxing District. They were David T. Porter, John Overton, David P. Hadden, William D. Bethell and Walter L. Clapp who then became mayor. See the article History of Memphis, Tennessee for more information.| Image | Mayor | Years | Notes |
| Marcus B. Winchester | 1827–1829 | ||
| Isaac Rawlings | 1829–1831 | ||
| Seth Wheatley | 1831–1832 | ||
| Robert Lawrence | 1832–1833 | ||
| Isaac Rawlings | 1833–1836 | ||
| Enoch Banks | 1836–1837 | ||
| John H. Morgan | 1837–1838 | ||
| Enoch Banks | 1838–1839 | ||
| Thomas Dixon | 1839–1841 | ||
| William Spickernagle | 1841–1842 | ||
| Edwin Hickman | 1842–1845 | ||
| Jesse J. Finley | 1845–1846 | ||
| Edwin Hickman | 1846–1847 | ||
| Enoch Banks | 1847–1848 | ||
| Gardner E. Locke | 1848–1849 | ||
| Edwin Hickman | 1849–1852 | ||
| A. B. Taylor | 1852–1855 | ||
| Addison H. Douglass | 1855–1856 | ||
| Thomas B. Carroll | 1856–1857 | ||
| Richard D. Baugh | 1857–1861 | ||
| John Park | 1861–1864 | ||
| Thomas H. Harris | 1864 | ||
| Channing Richards | 1864–1865 | ||
| John Park | 1865–1866 | ||
| William Lofland | 1866–1868 | ||
| Edgar M. McDavitt | 1868 | ||
| John W. Leftwich | 1868–1869 | ||
| John T. Swayne | 1869 | ||
| John W. Leftwich | 1869–1870 | ||
| John Johnson | 1870–1874 | ||
| John Loague | 1874–1876 | ||
| John R. Flippin | 1876–1879 | ||
| 1879–1895 | As a result of a yellow fever epidemic in 1879, Memphis lost so much of its population that it was disincorporated and was not rechartered until 1895. This accounts for the absence of a mayor during the period 1879–1893. The city leaders during this period were known as President of the Taxing District. They were David T. Porter, John Overton, David P. Hadden, William D. Bethell and Walter L. Clapp who then became mayor. See the article History of Memphis, Tennessee for more information. | ||
| Walker L. Clapp | 1895–1898 | ||
| Joseph John "JJ" Williams | 1898–1906 | ||
| James H. Malone | 1906–1910 | ||
| E. H. "Boss" Crump | 1910–1915 | ||
| George C. Love | 1915–1916 | ||
| Thomas C. Ashcroft | 1916–1917 | ||
| Harry H. Litty | 1917–1918 | ||
| Frank L. Monteverde | 1918–1919 | ||
| Rowlett Paine | 1920–1927 | ||
| Watkins Overton | 1928–1939 | ||
| E. H. "Boss" Crump | 1940 | ||
| Joseph P. Boyle | 1940 | ||
| Walter Chandler | 1940–1946 | ||
| Joseph P. Boyle | 1946 | ||
| Sylvanus W. Polk, Sr. | 1946–1947 | ||
| James J. Pleasants, Jr. | 1947–1949 | ||
| Watkins Overton | 1949–1953 | ||
| Frank T. Tobey | 1953–1955 | ||
| Walter Chandler | 1955 | ||
| Edmund Orgill | 1956–1959 | ||
| Henry Loeb | 1960–1963 | ||
| Claude Armour | 1963 | ||
| William B. Ingram | 1963–1967 | ||
| Henry Loeb | 1968–1971 | ||
| J. Wyeth Chandler | 1972–1982 | Resigned from office to accept a circuit court judgeship | |
| J.O. Patterson, Jr. | 1982 | Served as interim mayor. First African-American mayor. Former State Representative and former State Senator. | |
| Wallace Madewell | 1982 | ||
| Richard C. Hackett | 1982–1991 | ||
| W. W. Herenton | 1992–2009 | First elected African-American mayor | |
| Myron Lowery | 2009 | 3rd African-American mayor | |
| A C Wharton | 2009–2015 | 2nd elected African American mayor | |
| Jim Strickland | 2016–2024 | ||
| Paul Young | 2024–present | 5th African-American mayor. |